Woodstock Planning Board: Just Say No!

On January 13th, 2026, Zena Development principals Evan Kleinberg and Eddie Greenberg submitted a letter to the Woodstock Planning Board arguing for their proposed subdivision and road construction. Read on to see Stop Zena Development’s response to Zena Development’s letter.

Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter:

“Dear Chairman Cross and Members of the Woodstock Planning Board,

I am writing to respectfully respond to recent public comments submitted regarding the Zena Development application and to clarify several points where the factual record differs materially from assertions made in those letters.

At the outset, we acknowledge and respect that neighbors have expressed sincere concerns about environmental protection, public safety, and the character of Woodstock. Those concerns are understandable and deserve careful consideration. At the same time, it is important that the public record accurately reflects the nature of the proposal, the existing site conditions, and the regulatory review already undertaken…”

Stop Zena Development Response:

There is a notable difference between this letter to the Woodstock Planning Board, and this letter submitted by Zena Development’s lawyers to the Town of Ulster Planning Board on 1/27/26, which reads in part:

“It is clear that the Project’s opponents are trying to bully and harass the Ulster Planning Board into making a misguided Determination of Significance. They are clearly attempting to abuse the SEQRA process as a means to satisfying their nefarious ends: their desire to kill the Project by intimidating the towns into reviewing it to death. However, more review will not yield any new information…We believe it patently unfair to the individual volunteer Planning Board members to be put in such a litigious position by the opponents solely because of their motives wholly unrelated to their concern for the environment (i.e., to stop all development).”

Do they respect the concerns of their neighbors, or do they regard us as nefarious actors?

Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…SCOPE AND HISTORY OF THE PROPOSAL

Several comments characterize the project as a new or dramatically expanded development. In fact, Eastwoods Drive is an existing private roadway that has long served multiple residences. The current application proposes a limited improvement of the existing road and a single, approximately 1,200-foot extension to connect to the Town of Ulster. This is not the construction of a new road network, but a modest extension of existing infrastructure…

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…The application has been under review for an extended period and has been revised multiple times in response to Planning Board direction, and agency and community feedback. The current submission reflects those revisions and incorporates environmental constraints, access limitations, and mitigation measures identified through that process. Assertions that the applicant is advancing an unchanged or unchecked plan are inconsistent with the documented record…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS AND LAND USE HISTORY

Some public comments describe the site as undisturbed, old-growth forest or as part of an uninterrupted wilderness corridor. That characterization is inaccurate. The property was logged in the early 2010s and was historically farmed and quarried, resulting in a second-growth forest condition. These existing conditions are well documented in the environmental materials submitted and form the baseline for impact analysis…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…In addition, the project area includes an existing FAA-registered airfield, which reflects prior clearing and ongoing use of a portion of the site and further distinguishes the area from permanently preserved or pristine lands…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…FOREST PRESERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Contrary to claims of wholesale forest clearing, on the 106 total acres on the lot in the Town of Ulster, the proposal maintains approximately three-quarters (¾) of the forest cover on the property. Clearing is limited to what is necessary for the roadway improvements and extension.

The project has undergone extensive environmental review, including wetland, habitat, stormwater, and species analyses. Where impacts are unavoidable, we are incorporating accepted avoidance and mitigation measures and has received sign-off and concurrence from the appropriate state and federal agencies, including jurisdictional determinations where applicable. Development within a Critical Environmental Area requires heightened scrutiny, not automatic prohibition, and that scrutiny has been applied here.

Several comments suggest that the project directly intrudes into or fragments publicly owned lands associated with the Bluestone Forest. In fact, the project site is physically separated from those publicly owned lands by Sawkill Road. The proposal does not access, cross, or encroach upon Bluestone Forest lands, nor does it create new public access into them…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…TRAFFIC, ACCESS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Traffic impacts were evaluated by a licensed professional engineer using accepted methodologies. Assertions that traffic volumes or safety concerns have been understated rely on unadjusted or misapplied data and do not reflect peak-hour conditions or professional analysis. The submitted studies demonstrate that roadway performance remains acceptable…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…With respect to emergency access, Eastwoods Drive already serves existing residences, and the proposed improvements will enhance, not diminish, access. The extension will be constructed to applicable fire and safety standards, and claims that the project is categorically unsafe or noncompliant are not supported by the technical record…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…FISCAL AND INTERMUNICIPAL ASSERTIONS

Some comments assert that the project will impose undefined or disproportionate fiscal burdens on Woodstock without benefit. These statements are speculative and unsupported by evidence. As demonstrated in the application materials, service obligations primarily fall within the Town of Ulster, and no quantified fiscal harm to Woodstock has been established…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…NATURE OF PUBLIC COMMENT

Public participation is an essential part of the review process. However, many comments rely on generalized opposition to development rather than analysis tied to the specific contents of this application or the actual conditions of the site. Respectfully, disagreement with development in principle is distinct from identifying material deficiencies in a proposal that otherwise complies with applicable standards…”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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Zena Development’s 1/13/26 letter continued:

“…CONCLUSION

In closing, we appreciate the opportunity to clarify the factual record where inaccuracies have been repeated. The proposal involves an existing road, a limited 1,200-foot extension, preservation of the majority of forest cover, and compliance with state and federal environmental oversight. We remain committed to an open and transparent review process and to continuing to address legitimate issues as they arise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully submitted,

Eddie Greenberg
Evan Kleinberg”

Stop Zena Development Fact Check:

  • The Eastwoods Drive road extension would have to cross parcel 38.2-1-38.100 to reach the Woodstock/Ulster town line. As measured in Ulster County Parcel Viewer, this parcel measures 1,372 feet wide. The road extension as planned is not a straight line. Why are they manipulating this number? Click here to see the maps.

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